web So You Want To Make a Youtube Channel About Video Games?

[Guest]

I tagged this as web as this is more about youtube and such than actually games, though games are a huge part of it.

 

So, you want to make a youtube series that incorporates games in some capacity? Maybe you have no idea where to start, or maybe you do, but you haven't exactly figured out how to make your dream into a reality. Maybe you're worried about the costs? Or perhaps you're just not sure how video editing works? Maybe you're concerned about how much work it'll actually be.

 

In this thread I am encouraging our local video makers to offer you advice and tips on how to make a youtube channel. I of course will start by creating a little guide on what you may want to know and important bits. Everyone who comments feel free to add advice, comments and other things you think may be helpful.

 

 

Part 1. Starting Out

 

I think the most important thing you need to do before ANYTHING is ask yourself a few questions and know the answers to said questions. A few of them would probably be:

 

"Why am I doing this?"

 

If your goal is merely to get paid through ad revenue, you may be off on the wrong foot. Remember that getting to the level of generating ad revenue takes a while and building an audience can take time, patience, and the proper placements. Consider starting for fun, but if you hope to make this into a career, just take it seriously.

 

"What would my channel be about?"

 

Bringing something to the table is what attracts subscribers. People want to see something either new or entertaining. Try to avoid just pumping out another channel that is doing the same thing as everyone else. A common one I get is "I want to start a brony gaming channel", this might not be a good idea because 1. It's been done to death. and 2. You're alienating a potential audience. Your channel should be general enough to capture many viewers, but not so vague that it has no direction. Consider the fact that the "Brony" trend has kind of been tapped out by most brony youtubers nowadays.

 

"How dedicated am I?"

 

If the answer is not very, you probably should consider something else. Most subscribers want to see regular content. A few videos a month is almost expected these days. You also may need to invest in equipment, games, etc.

 

"Am I willing to invest in this?"

 

While you can do a nice economy set up, investing more generally makes results easier to obtain. So down the road you may need to invest some cash into this venture to produce truly entertaining content.

 

 

Part 2. The Set Up

 

Probably the most important thing is your set up, and how much you are going to have to invest in that. While you "can" compromise in some places, others it's just not feasible to compromise in. Before you go any further you should consider what the average viewer these days expects from a youtube channel these days and ask yourself if you are capable or willing to achieve those things:

 

1. HD is more or less the standard now. While you can get away with old school games being lower resolution, 720p is generally the "minimum" most people want to see. This means you'll need a machine/devices that can record and edit at minimum 720p. While 60FPS is not quite as "demanded" yet, 720p is definitely something people appreciate.
2. Decent audio. Low quality webcam mics just won't cut it these days. You may want to invest in a good mic.
3. Decent editing. This might mean investing in more than movie maker.
4. Consistency. Make sure your videos are on point and coming out at a pace that viewers can somewhat predict around when your next video will happen. A good rule of thumb is set up a certain number per month that is your "minimum" and always try to achieve that number.

Now obviously to achieve this you're going to need some equipment. First I shall go over the "ideal" set up. This is a set up that is something you do when money isn't really a huge issue anymore, and you want the highest quality footage possible:

 

• Studio Microphone - $200+
• Pop filters - $20
• Mic stands - Anywhere between $30-100+
• Decent gaming machine (You will need fairly high end stuff if you want to record 1080p60FPS with games running at the same time) - Anywhere between $1000-2000
• Dedicated editing machine (You'll want a computer that is just for editing videos so you can capture more footage while you are waiting for files to render) - Probably around $900
• Consoles (If you plan on using them) - Anywhere between $200-500 depending on the systems
• Games - Between $5-60+ a pop
• Elgato HD60 Capture device (If you are using consoles) - $170
• Hard drives, lots of them - You can find a 4TB external for around $110 these days, but you'll need several of them down the road.
• Decent camera - These could go for as little as $500 or as much as $9000 depending on how high grade you want to go.
• Adobe Premiere/Sony Vegas - $500+ depending on the software
• Various other expenses.

 

Now this is all a lot to consider. When you think about how much money actually has to go into doing these series it makes you appreciate those who make a living doing this a bit more. I mean consider the fact that new stuff is always coming out, so replacing outdated equipment along with investing in better equipment is a constant thing. The truth is, many people have to spend a considerable amount of cash before getting to where they are making cash.

 

Now let's talk about a good economy set up for starting out:

 

• Game Console (Truthfully, this is the cheaper route for starting out because you won't need a demanding machine to run modern games that also needs to be able to run recording software in the background) - Around $299-$499
• Games (No way around this one) $5-60 a pop.
• Elgato HD60 (This is by far the cream of the crop for recording gameplay footage from modern consoles) - $170
• A laptop/Desktop capable of using the Elgato (You will need a fairly modern machine, but you can do it from a mid range machine) - Around $500-600 if you shop around, chances are you already have this
• A decent editing software - This one is tricky to put a price on. I use Premiere Pro CS5.5, but obviously that is expensive and you will need a machine that can run it. Sony Vegas is a bit cheaper and while free programs out there exist... Their limitations can set you back significantly.
• Some Hard drives - Around $110 for some 4TBs
• A decent webcam (In substitute of a studio camera) - A Logitech C920 works quite well and captures 1080p and it usually runs for around $70 if you shop around.
• A decent mic - A Samson CO1U is like $70 if you know where to look, and a little pop filter to go with it can be found for as low as $8.

This is a good little start up build, and a lot of this stuff you can probably find for cheaper if you are hunting around for sales, or acquire it from friends. Pop filters can even be made if you need one that badly and are scrapped for cash.

 

Part 3. Tips and Tricks

 

• Don't be afraid to edit stuff out. It's better to do a jump cut than have several minutes of dead air where nothing is happening.
• Google and online communities are your best friend. You may encounter technical problems and others may have discovered the same issues. (I'll have a technical help section below)
• Practice talking in front of a mic a bit before doing videos. Try to work on speech problems such as stutters, repeating yourself, etc.
• Some videos may require a script, rehearse it before making the final video.
• Try and make a thumbnail image that is capturing (but not misleading) while keeping true to your brand.
• Establishing a brand is very helpful. Create a logo, an opening, and a branding that you'll use throughout your videos.
• Try some collab projects to increase your audience.
• Advertise other channels.
• Call to action, don't be afraid to ask for the subscription.

 

Part 4. Common Questions/Concerns

 

This section will be answering common questions and concerns that a lot of people getting into youtube want to know:

 

Emulators or actual old school games?

 

It's a toss up. While many will tell you having the actual game is the best way to go, there are benefits to emulators. Skipping long boring parts of games is definitely an option you have and you can use things like Anti-aliasing to get betting looking footage. However if your series focuses around discussing the game in its original state, such as AVGN, you will want the physical copies.

 

Everyone is telling me that Yeti Mics are the best, is that true?

 

They're decent quality, but truthfully... They're not really as good as some people praise them. I mean they get decent audio, but truthfully there are studio microphones that are WORLDS better. However they will get the job done.

 

Vegas or Premiere?

 

Premiere has a clear advantage here because it has a lot more features, and it has the Mercury playback function which lets you edit live. Vegas will definitely work, but premiere can get the job done so much smoother.

 

What about Final Cut Pro?

 

If you have access to it, use it.

 

I was told macs are better for editing, is this true?

 

It depends on your definition of better. Truthfully... I would trust a mac more simply because they are more stable. Less likely to randomly crash than a windows machine. Nothing worse than rending a video and your PC just randomly crashes in the middle. Macs are a bit more suitable for intensive tasks like this due to their high up time. They aren't "necessary" but it's definitely an investment that will save you a lot of hardship down the road.

 

Are pop filters necessary?

 

Yeah, pretty much. Otherwise you're going to get awkward noises when you pronounce the "p" sound and other various things. Fortunately, they're super cheap these days.

 

Is 1080p necessary?

 

Honestly? Not 100%. Like yeah a lot of people enjoy it, but studies have shown 720p is very acceptable still for videos.

 

Asking for subs... Isn't that kind of annoying and needy sounding?

 

I know many of us ourselves have been annoyed by a youtuber asking us to subscribe, but believe it or not, this has proven effective. A lot of viewers will actually be more likely to subscribe if you ask them to.

 

What kind of games should I stay away from?

 

There are tons of games that unfortunately are somewhat of no-nos. There is a list of let's play friendly developers out there available here. However there are other games you should avoid for obvious reasons, such as Rock Band due to it having nothing but licensed music. You'll have to use your judgment on this one. Nintendo more or less is just saying flat out "no" these days, but hopefully that will change.

 

 

Part 5. Technical Questions

 

I can't seem to get the audio from my Elgato HD60 to sync up with my microphone recorded at the same time.

 

This is a well known bug within the program. The trick to fixing it is 2 things. 1. Make sure you restart the program EVERY time you want to attempt a new recording. and 2. Press the record button first, THEN activate live commentary and make sure you disable live commentary before ending the video. This somehow fixes the issue.

 

My audio is out of sync when I try to upload webcam footage and gameplay into Sony Vegas/Premiere.

 

This is caused by some cameras recording inconsistent framerates. A good solution to this is to run all of your video files through a program called "Handbrake" (free) and make sure you set the framerate to "consistent". This usually fixes the issue.

 

My Elgato HD60 is not really capturing my console, it keeps flickering on and off!

 

Disable HDCP on the console. It should be under the settings. Consoles like the Wii U you will not have to do this.

 

More will be added as time goes on

 

 

So yeah! Does anyone have questions, things to add, or comments? Let's get a discussion going here and help people out!

[Randimaxis 8,654]

Hiya, Key!

 

I'm gonna move this to Video Creative Resources, since this is STELLAR advice for any newcomer who wants to do this - hopefully, you'll generate a bit more interest here than where it was.

 

Thank you for your time.  *bows*

[Overlord0909 479]

This is a real great list so far into reading! I don't know if there's too much to add.

 

I will suggest a program I used for screen recording, which was suggested to me by someone else:
Bandicam

Although you have to pay to record without restriction and to get rid of the logo at the top of the screen, it can still be used free.

I'm hoping you can be clever enough without me having to say anything as to how you can get rid of undesired effects, but with the free version there is one tactic I think would make this a pretty useful program; making separate recordings and then putting them together.

 

Another free tactic to avoid having to buy a better mic (unless you are live stream, you're stuck there) is get Audacity and edit your audio. The simplest way to get rid of background noise, and to amplify sound there is (in my opinion and use). If you have the money and set up though, get the mic!

 

Those are things I've done to improve my quality without having to spend money

[ponylaces 1,870]

Nice guide thingy! This could work for any type of channel too, aside from the game stuff of course.

[Anonymous Old User Who Has Left 599]

Also, get some people who know YT well on your side. You will need all the authentic fighters you can get to battle YouTube themselves when it comes to their STUPID FLAWED UNFAIR COPYRIGHT SCRAP.

 

If u don't know what I;m talking about, watch this video: